Nils Ahlroth was 52 years old when he finally got his big break. After working as a travelling vaudeville artist since leaving school, he was best known as a female impersonator. If he couldn't amuse his demanding audience in that capacity, Nisse Ahlroth used to ride around the stage on a flimsy unicycle, telling cheap jokes.
In 1972, however, Swedish TV planned to launch a new series. "NP Möller" was about a caretaker in a big apartment building in central Malmö. In the lead role, the director wanted someone who was unknown to the general public. And Nisse Ahlroth proved to be perfect for the part. After only a few episodes, it was clear that the viewers had taken the old vaudeville artist to their hearts. And when the TV series was later released on DVD, he met a new, enthusiastic audience.
Much of the action in the series took place in the backyard of the large apartment building. Here, Möller was the undisputed boss. He kept the place nice and tidy and got annoyed when noisy kids played ball, even though it was frowned upon. It was also in the backyard that caretaker Möller often met the residents of the building. The old, forgotten former football star, the sneaky hairdresser with a secret and the gossipy shopkeeper, to name just a few.
Excessively popular, the series was produced for a full six seasons. Quite unique for that time in Scandinavia. Some Swedish journalists even formed a special "Möller Academy" to study the series' unique humor and aesthetics. Half seriously, half-jokingly...
But when the curtain went down for "NP Möller" in 1980, it also meant the end of Nils Ahlroth as a major star. He did get some supporting roles in the coming years, but nothing compared to his television heyday. So, when he passed away in 1991, Nils Ahlroth was back on the local vaudeville circuit where he once had started.
